Performance Evaluation of Grid Interactive Photovoltaic System

Performance monitoring is significant step in assessing a PV system. Having installed any size of PV system, it is important to monitor that the system is running efficiently and to its full potential. It can be done on hourly, daily, monthly or annual basis provided we have a data acquisition system. The monitored data are used to derive performance parameters of PV system following standards IEC 61724. Performance database of grid connected PV systems without battery are well documented but very few PV battery systems are studied for performance following these standards. In this paper, performance of a 40kWp grid interactive PV system, installed in Agra, India, is presented. The system under study comprises of PV, Grid, and Battery to supply connected load. Performance parameters like Array Yield, Reference Yield, Final Yield, Performance Ratio, and Capacity Factor are derived. The effect of battery storage on performance ratio is presented. In addition to the above parameters, Energy flow distribution in the system is also presented. Performance evaluation of a grid interactive PV system for 3 consecutive years is presented.